Merchandise cart



. Oct. 23, 1951 R. c. TACKENBERG 2,572,730

MERCHANDISE CART 5, 1948 2 swans-swam 1 Filed Nov.

1N VEN TOR.

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Oct. 23; 1951 R. c. TACKENBERG 2,572,780

MERCHANDISE CART Filed Nov. 5, 1948 Y I 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 11 ill:-nmlllllm ea; 61 w all l l l i J! j 3! J90 v x; I a if a I INVENTOR.

o C. Mkfi BY Patented Oct. 23, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEMERCHANDISEGART R c d -T ckenberg, cam. Ohio Application November 5,1948, Serial No. 58,487

This invention relates to a hand truck designed primarily for use instocking the shelves of stores, such as retail food markets. Thestructure is of particular value in self-service stores in which themerchandise is displayed on shelves accessible to purchasers, thearticles price marked so that the purchaser may walk about the store andhelp himself to th desired items. The truck is used to transport theincoming stock to the desige natedshelf areas at which point the itemsare unpacked from their shipping cartons, price marked and .stacked inorderly fashion upon the classified shelf area for convenient selectionby the patrons.

Keeping the shelves well stocked is vital to the successful operation ofsuch stores. As various stock items are depleted, they must be replaced,often while the store is open for business. Since the aisle spacebetween the shelves frequently is restricted, the restocking operationobstructs the passageways and interferes with the normal flow of trade.In the ,case of articles shipped in cartons, the practice has been toprice mark the items individually and repack them in the cartons, laterto transport the carton tothe shelf area to stack the articles on theshelfbut this involves double handling.

The present hand truck has been designed to render this work morespeedy-and efficient and constitutes a platformtruck having anelevatedwork table such that the cartoned articles as received may be loadedupon the truck platform, transported to the shelf section, placed uponthe work table and marked as a single operation incident to stacking theitems upon the shelf. This procedure has been found to be speedier andmore eflicient than the former, since it involves merely a singlehandling operation. :For convenience, the structure includes a set ofprice marking tools contained in a receptacle closely adjacent the Worktable and the work table proper is located at an elevation approximatingthe store shelves so that the articles maybe marked and transferreddirectly to the shelf. The structure further. contemplates a salvagerack to retain the cartons as they are emptied so that the aisles arenot obstructed by empty cartons and time need vnot be lost in disposingof them.

Briefly described, the truck constitutes a wheeled platform with astandard .or uprightrising vertically at one ,end to stabilize the; take ca s, the s nda d se vin as a p sher an as a mou Q-r t rk t b andsaase rack. n t ela e eli-se c ts ores it i as s i i a S ver l utilityrrgckssqthat;rant

.5 Cla ms. (01- 2891-4 ous-parts of the store may be restocked at theether.

Theobjectivesof the-invention therefore, have been to provide a utilitytruck structure which incorporates an extensible work table disposed ator near shelfheight so that the-usermay price mark the itemsCOIlVBIlleIltlYilDOH the work-table and place them directly upon thestore shelf as a-single operationgto provide a detachablesalvage rackfor the empty cartons so that theymay be conveyed by the truck to avoidobstruction of the aisles and to design the structure in such mannerthat theindividual trucks will matewith each other in nestedrelationship for compact storage.

Various other features and advantages of the structure will be morefully-disclosed in'theac companying drawings illustrating a preferredembodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved hand truck.

Figure 2 is an end elevation as projected from Figure 1, furtherillustrating the truck generally.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the truck as projected from Figure 1,with a; portion of the truck platform removed to illustrateitsconstruetion.

igu 4 i a front View il ustr t n th al a e ra k'a de hed frc th t u k-.F s-ure .5 a e ti na vi w take .onl p 5.

u e :2. etailing the st uctu the vertical.

t nd rd o th u k- Figure 6 is a s ec tiona l view taken on line 575.Figure detai th nestin keta ransement- F ure 7 i s an enlargedfragmentary side elervation of the upper portion of the truck standard,partially broken away to illustrate themountin arrangement for the workshelf, with i the shelf in its horizontal or operating position.

Fi ure B is a viewsimilar toFigure v illustrating the work shelf in itsupended or inoperative Position.

F ur 9.1 r men ar s c i nal view aken line .s-ail ...s ratiu the m untinstru u of the work shelf with reference to the frame members of thevertical standard.

Figure 10 is a sectional view taken on line |-|0, Figure 1, illustratingthe detachable mounting structure of the salvage rack.

Figure 11 is a sectional view taken on line |I| I, Figure 10, furtherdetailing the detachable mounting arrangement of the salvage rack.

Figure 12 is a diagrammatic side view illustrating the manner in whichseveral trucks may be stacked one upon another and nested for com-,

pact storage.

Figure 13 is a sectional view taken on line |3|3, Figure 12, furtherdetailing thebrackets by means of which the standards are interlocked innested relationship.

Generally described, the truck constitutes a base or platform Iconstructed preferably from sheet metal, having a marginal stiffeningflange I6 bent downwardly around its edges as illustrated in Figure 1. Alongitudinal rib H, extended lengthwise of the platform as shown inFigure'3, further strengthens and reinforces the top panel I8 of theplatform. The rib I! may be secured by means of welding indicated atlongitudinally to panel l8 and endwise to the margin I6. Otherreinforcing ribs (not shown) may be installed crosswise of the platformdepending upon load requirements and the sheet metal gauge utilized. Theplatform I5 is mounted upon truck wheels of commercial design, the rearwheels 2|2| being journalled upon shafts 22 carried by invertedU-shaped' brackets 2323 formed preferably from heavy gauge sheet metalstampings. Each of these includes a top plate 24 welded to the undersideof the platform panel l8, as shown in Figure 1 to mount the brackets.The front end of the'truck platform is supported upon caster units 25-25comprised of dirigible or rotatable brackets 262 6, having caster wheels2'I2'I rotatably mounted upon shafts 28 carried by the brackets. Thecaster units 25 are of a commercial design and for this reason are notillustrated in detail. It will be noted in Figure 1 that the upperportion of each caster bracket is rotatably connected to a U-shaped topplate 30, which is welded to the panel I8 similar to the plate 24 forthe rear wheels.

, The-truck is provided with a vertical standard or upright structure,indicated generally at 3| (Figure 1), which rises from the end ofplatform I5- and provides a stabilizer 'for the articles stacked uponthe platform. The standard serves also as a handle for pushing thetruckabout the store and swinging the standard in the appropriate directionas the truck is pushed steers the truck by operation of the casters.

The upright 3| is formed essentially from a pair of vertical channelirons 3232 .(Figures 5 and 6) secured to the end of the truck preferablyby welding as at 33. These members are joined together, to provide aladder like structure by a series of spacers 34 extending crosswise ofthe channel members and secured to the inner web 35 of the channelmembers by butt welding as at 36.. Upon the upper ends of the respectivechannel members is mounted a handle bar 31 which is secured to the upperends of the channels by means of the horizontal extensions 3838 havingtheir opposite ends welded as at 40 to the upper end of'the channel andto the handle bar 31.

The standard 32 is provided with a collapsible shelf 4|,located towardthe upper end of the standard, which, in operation, assumes a 119 i"zontal position as shown in Figure 1. When the truck is fully loaded,this shelf may be folded to a vertical position as shown in brokenlines. The work shelf or table consists of a panel 42 provided with anangular connecting portion 43 which is welded to the edge of the panelas at 44. The angular portion 43 is dimensioned to fit between theopening defined by the webs 35-35 of the vertical channels 32. Upon theopposite end of the angular portion 43 is welded a cross bar 45 which isarranged to engage the opposite webs of the channels 32-32 when thetable is in its horizontal position as shown in Figure 7. The edge ofthe work table thus rests against one side of the channels while theextended ends 46-46 of bar 45 are in bearing engagement with theopposite webs of the channels to establish a wedging engagement relativeto the channels to lock the table frictionally at a desired elevation.Thus, the table may be adjusted to a desirable elevation above the uppercross member 34 or it may rest upon the cross member in its lowermostposition as shown. When it is desired to fold the work table out of theway, it is simply upended and the cross bar is slipped into the slot 4'!formed in the upper end of block 48 which is welded to the inner webs ofthe channels as shown in Figures 5 and 8. The slot is approximately thesame width as the thickness of bar 45 so as to maintain the tablesecurely in its vertical position. The table is removed entirely bytilting it laterally a sufiicient distance to clear the ends 46 of bar45 with respect to the channels.

As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the standard 3| is provided also with asalvage rack 49 designed to receive the empty cartons in collapsedcondition. This rack comprises a platform panel 50 formed of sheet metaland provided with a U- shaped vertical frame 5| formed from rod or barstock bent in the shape of an inverted U as shown in Figure 4, andprovided with horizontal end extensions 5252 formed by bending the lowerends of the frame laterally as shown in Figure 1. As detailed in Figures10 and 11 the plate 50 is secured between the lateral members 52preferably by welding as at 53. The opposite edges of the plate areprovided with vertical flanges 5454 to stiffen the plate at right anglesto the frame'extensions 52--52. The rack assembly is detachably mountedupon the standard 3| by means of hooks 5555 welded to the underside ofbase plate 50 as shown in Figures 10 and 11. The hooks include angularstuds 56 engageable with a slot 51 formed in a plate 58 which is securedto the channels 32-32 by welding as at 59. By reason of the engagementof the studs 55 with the slot 57 combined with the engagement of theflange 54 against the standards 32, the assembly is locked in positionas shown in Figure 11. The rack assembly may be detached by swinging theframe 5| toward the standard so as to release the binding engagement ofthe base plate against the standards, canting it laterally to disengagethe hook studs 55 from the webs of the channels. The rack provides aconvenient holder for the cartons as they are emptied and collapsed andfor other waste materials incident t0 unpacking the merchandise.

As illustrated in Figure 12, the trucks are arranged to be stacked innested relationship for compact storage when they are not in use. Inorder to maintain them in alignment the standard 3| of each truck isprovided with an alignment bracket 60 (Figures 6 and 13). This Ela/9155i constitutes the lowermost cross member 34 and is formed from aflat metal bar having its opposite ends bent angularly to provide limbs6l-6|, braced by a return bend 62, the ends of which are Welded as at 63to the bar 34 to form a triangle. As noted in Figure 6, the limbs 6l--6l converge slightly toward each other and are spaced to nest snuglybetween the webs 3535 of an adjacent truck as shown in Figure 13. Thebracket assembly is secured to the channels 3232 by means of welding asat 64. The support blocks 48 for the work table 4| occupy the samerelative position at the upper end of the standard as the limbs GI andserve the same purpose. In order to maintain the several trucks in anested relationship, elevating blocks 65 (Figure 12) may be provided.These maintain the platforms in an inclined plane so that the trucksremain in position by gravity.

If desired, the truck may be equipped with a tool box 66 to contain theprice marking equipment and other tools and supplies utilized instocking the shelves. The tool box includes angle brackets 616'l atopposite ends which are welded to the lateral handle extensions 38, asshown in Figures 3 and 7. The bottom 68 of the box is formed preferablyfrom expanded metal as shown in Figure 3.

When the merchandise is packed in cardboard cartons, they are stackedupon the truck platform, often to the height of the standard 3| with thework shelf 4| folded up out of the way as shown in Figures 1 and 8.Suitable tools for opening the cartons and marking prices and the likeon the items are carried in the tool box so that the user may mark thearticles individually as they are removed from the cartons and placedupon the shelves. As the stack of cartons diminishes, the work table 42may be extended so that the cartons may be placed upon it forconvenience and efficiency in handling. Since this table extends in thesame direction as the truck platform, there is no danger ofoverbalancing and upsetting the truck. When the trucks are not in use,they may be stacked as shown in Figure 12 for compact storage, in whichcase the work table 42 and salvage rack 52 are removed.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A utility truck comprising; a platform having a set of wheels forsupporting the platform, an upright structure secured to one end of saidplatform, a work table adapted to be mounted upon said uprightstructure, said work table engageable against one side of the uprightstructure and having a connecting portion extending to the opposite sideof the structure, a mounting bar secured to the connecting portionhaving end extensions engageable with the opposite side of the uprightto establish a binding engagement with the upright to sustain the Worktable in a horizontal position upon the upright overhanging theplatform, and a support bracket secured to the upright structure adaptedto receive said mounting bar to sustain the work table in a verticalposition upon the standard to increase the capacity of the truck whenthe table is not in use.

2. A utility truck comprising; a platform supported by a set of wheels,an upright structure constituting a pair of vertical members secured toone end of the platform, a work table adapted to be mounted upon saidupright structure, said table having its side edges configurated toembrace the vertical members in binding engagement when the table is ina horizontal position, a respective retainer block secured to saidvertical members, said retainer block including vertical slots adaptedto receive the edge of the table to maintain it in a vertical positionwhen the same in upended to increase the capacity of the truck.

3. A utility truck comprising; a platform supported by a set of wheels,an upright structure constituting a pair of vertical members secured toone end of the platform, a Work table adapted to be mounted upon saidupright structure, said table having a connecting portion adapted to fitbetween said vertical members, secured to the edge of said connectingportion, and overhanging the vertical members, the vertical memberspassing between the overhanging ends of the cross bar and the adjacentedge of the work table when the table is in a horizontal position toestablish a binding engagement therewith and retainer blocks secured tosaid vertical members, said blocks including vertical slots adapted toreceive said crossbar to maintain the work table in a vertical positionwhen the same is upended.

4. A utility truck comprising; a platform supported by a set of wheels,an upright structure constituting a pair of vertical channel memberssecured to one end of the platform, brace bars extending between saidchannel members to secure the same together, a work table adapted to bemounted upon the upper end of said upright structure, said table havinga connecting portion adapted to fit between said channel members, across bar secured to the edge of said connecting portion, the ends ofsaid cross bar being adapted to engage the respective channel membersand the adjacent edge of the work table adapted to engage the oppositeside of said channel members, a brace bar disposed beneath the worktable to support the same, a respective retainer block secured to saidchannel members, said retainer block including vertical slots adapted toreceive said cross bar to maintain the work table in a vertical positionwhen the same is upended.

5. A utility truck comprising; a platform supported by a set of wheels,an upright structure constituting a pair of vertical members secured toone end of the platform, a work table adapted to be mounted upon saidupright structure, said table having its side edges configurated toembrace the vertical members in binding engagement when the table is ina horizontal position, retainer blocks secured to said vertical members,said blocks including vertical slots adapted to receive an edge of thetable to maintain the table in a vertical position when the same isupended, said blocks being extended beyond the vertical members andarranged to fit between the vertical members of a duplicate utilitytruck to provide a nested engagement therewith whereby a plurality oftrucks may be stacked one upon another in nested engagement.

RICHARD C. TACKENBERG.

REFERENCES CITED The Iollowing references are of record in the file orthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 672,921 Slingsby Apr. 30, 19011,171,343 Klok Feb. 8, 1916 1,410,373 Choate et al Mar. 21, 19221,585,834 Drinkwater May 25, 1926 1,750,639 Jones Mar. 18, 19302,130,334 Barber Sept. 20, 1938 2,212,053 Smith Aug. 20, 1940 a crossbar

